Former Republican senator Fred Thompson has quit the race for the White House after failing to make his mark in the early contests for his party's nomination.
He said that he hopes that his country and his party have benefited from he and his wife Jeri having made the effort.
Mr Thompson, the star of television drama Law and Order, came into the race in September, months after his rivals had started campaigning.
He was seen by some conservatives as an inspirational figure in the mold of former president Ronald Reagan.
But the former Tennessee senator came a distant third in Saturday's Republican primary in South Carolina, sounding the death knell for his lackluster campaign after poor showings in other states.
